


A Debt Repaid

by wartransmission



Series: Once Upon A Time [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Knight!Dave, M/M, Medievalstuck, Unrequited Love, prince!John
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-29
Updated: 2013-04-29
Packaged: 2017-12-09 21:38:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/778253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wartransmission/pseuds/wartransmission
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He laughed, then. He laughed and drew his hands up, cupping both of your cheeks as he pulled you closer. “Don’t be so scared, prince,” he teased, voice light with amusement as you looked up into his eyes. “I didn’t mind the kiss.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Debt Repaid

Dave has never been perfect, not once in all the years that you’ve known him.

 

He talks far too often, he’s inclined to making remarks that are out of line and crude at times, he has a habit of talking to himself, and he snores. You would know, considering how often you drag him into your room during the middle of the night. That is, for the sole purpose of keeping him awake and away from his nightmares- because you know that there’s no one else he’s willing to ask for help. Rose’s potions can only work for so long, after all.

 

But for all his faults, for all that he lacks, you love him anyway. You always have. For so long, he was ( _is_ ) your best friend. It had hurt to think of hiding it from him, but you had no choice. You would rather suffer in silence than have him avoiding you, all because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut. You would wait, smile, watch him as he takes to telling tales to the kingdom’s people, the women all more than willing to stay the night to listen to him.

 

You had thought, perhaps, that the feelings would fade. You had thought of it time and time again, that maybe it’s a phase, that you’ve put all of your attention on him because he’s your knight and he’s _yours,_ and the concept of having him sounded appealing. Perhaps the intimacy you have with him as your closest friend was tempting that you wanted more, perhaps you were just sick and twisted and you couldn’t find anything else to occupy your attention. (Certainly, Rose has a large influence on you.)

 

You had thought you’d forget, someday. You had thought that, since Dave would never love you back, you’d forget.

 

But you almost lose him on the day of the battle between the kingdoms of Derse and Prospit. The man you’d thought would never die, all because of his will and sheer stubbornness to the point of idiocy, was half-dead on his feet as the battle wound down to a stop. None of his wounds were for your sake, not when you had far too many unfair advantages with your weapon and the wind under your hands.

 

In the end, you were the one who saved him. It didn’t matter if he’d become angry that you saved him, that the prince he was supposed to protect protected him instead. What mattered was that he was alive, that he’d done his part in the battle, that he was still going to be _fine._

Understandably enough, you were still wound up even when the battle was over and Prospit had settled a truce with Derse, what with the knowledge that it was the royalty and the thousands of soldiers at their command that were corrupting the kingdom. You felt jittery, anxious, even with the relief settling deep in your stomach at the knowledge that your kingdom would be safe for years to come.

 

Your father had been the first person you’d intended to visit, but he was asleep- exhausted from the battle and the negotiations that he’d had to make. It was to be expected, so you made your way to Dave’s chamber instead, inwardly thankful for the privacy he could afford as your personal knight.

 

“You’ll still love me even if I’m not as pretty anymore, won’t you, John?” He’d teased as soon as you came in, his red eyes half-lidded with weariness. You could only offer a small smile, nodding to Rose as she left you alone with Dave.

 

“I don’t know about that, Dave,” you said to him, settling on the chair beside his bed.

 

He chuckled at that, eyes falling shut, before he opened them again to look at you. “And here I thought you loved me, you little liar,” he said, voice raspy. “I’m heartbroken.”

 

You laughed. But the sound faded into silence eventually, the heavy weight on your chest returning as you took a good look at all the wounds and bruises Dave had attained from the battle. His eyes, which had fallen shut again from exhaustion, snapped open as soon as you started sniffling.

 

“John? There’s no need for tears, I know that you love me,” he said to offer you comfort, a hesitant smile on his face as he reached out a hand to you. “I forgive you.”

 

“Shut up,” you said, choking back a sob as you clasp his hand in both of yours, your lips pressing against the tips of his fingers as you duck your head down. “I’d never forgive you if you died out there, you utter idiot.”

 

“I’d never forgive myself either, so I think it works out,” he joked, his hand squeezing around yours. “John, hey.” He raised his other hand, earning a small yelp from you when he flicked his fingers at your forehead. “No more crying. It doesn’t suit you.” You laughed then, letting him brush away the strands of hair falling in your face as you released his hand. He opened his arms to you as soon as you’d gotten yourself together, a small smile on his face as he said, “Well? Don’t keep a man waiting.”

 

You smiled with blurry eyes at him, before indulging yourself in his embrace, your arms gentle around him so as to prevent aggravating any of his wounds. “Ask for help next time, Strider,” you murmured into the embrace, your face hidden in his shoulder. “That’s what friends are for.”

 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, a soft chuckle evident in his tone. His smile had softened when you moved to look at him again, his face so close to yours that you couldn’t help but stare. Your instincts told you to kiss him, to let him know just how much you’d break if he _had_ died, and your mind agreed. The fear you’d felt for so long faded for a second and you leaned in, slowly, watching as his eyes became half-lidded. Your eyes had fallen shut as soon as your lips pressed against his, your heart stuttering in its beating when you felt how soft his mouth was under yours.

 

You pulled away slowly after what seemed like hours, your eyes half-lidded but taking in all of him with all the determination of a man unsure of where his fate will lead him. He stared back at you, his gaze unreadable, and you swallowed. “Dave, I,” you stumble over your words, feeling the fear coming back and crawling under your skin, “I’m sorry-”

 

“Are you?” He asked, his arms around your waist falling away, leaving you cold without his warmth. “Are you honestly sorry, John?”

 

You quiver, hiding your tears as you turn your head down. “I.” You chew on your lower lip, before raising your gaze to him and shaking your head. You can’t lie to him outright. Not in this.

 

He laughed, then. He laughed and drew his hands up, cupping both of your cheeks as he pulled you closer. “Don’t be so scared, prince,” he teased, voice light with amusement as you looked up into his eyes. “I didn’t mind the kiss.”

 

You froze, your eyes wide as you stared at him. “You…didn’t?”

 

He shook his head, his hands calloused but warm as he traced circles on your skin. “I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to try again.”

 

You knew that your heart was beating furiously at that moment, but you didn’t care. “May I?” You asked, voice cracking with emotion as you leaned into his touch. “May I kiss you again?”

 

He chuckled, moving both of his hands until they were on the back of your head, his newly placed hold on you being used to push you forward until your nose brushed against his. “You may kiss me again, your highness.”

 

And you did. You kissed him with all the fear and love you’d bottled away in your mind, almost crying with how pliant he was against you, his hands warm on your skin as he gripped your arms.

 

That was the beginning.

 

 

\-----

 

 

“You’re a tease,” he groans as you press feather-light kisses on the expanse of skin under his navel. You look up at that, a grin on your lips as you lower yourself. “ _Definitely_ a cruel man,” he says, the words trickling into a moan as you lick up the length of his shaft. You laugh for a moment, enjoying how he’s squirming underneath you, before ducking your head down to take him into your mouth. He groans at the warmth of your mouth on his skin, his hand coming down to tangle in your black locks. “Just _cruel_ , John.”

 

You don’t say anything to refute him, your eyes falling shut as you bob your head on his cock. You can tell that he’s biting his lower lip, as he always does when he stifles his moans. The thought only urges you further and you tease him more, your cheeks hollowing around him as you suck harder, your tongue licking and pressing down against the slit of his cock’s head.

 

The groan he makes when you pull away is of irritation, his red eyes glaring at you as soon as you slide back up to face him. “No need to be so angry, Dave,” you say with a grin, your grin faltering as soon as he bucks up against you, the motion making his cock slide against your own. “Don’t tempt me,” you warn, your skin feeling warm with need when Dave only smirks up at you.

 

“Ah, but do I really need to tempt you?” He says, voice husky with arousal as he moves his hips against yours, his moan unsuppressed as he stares right at you. “You’re already so hard, and I’ve yet to do anything.”

 

“Don’t be cocky, knight,” you groan, your hands falling onto the bed on either side of Dave’s chest, fingers gripping tightly at the sheets. “You know that it’s because of you.”

 

He grins then, face bright with amusement, and you smile. The smile, as per the usual, falters when he bucks his hips up against your own. “Let me ease your pain, then,” he purrs, one of his hands lowering to grip around your shaft. “But it’s not my hand you want, is it?” He says, all while pumping a hand slowly around your cock.

 

“No,” you gasp, your hips moving against his hand. “No, it’s not your hand that I want.”

 

He laughs. “What, then? My mouth? My feet? What do you want, John?”

 

You groan before you can form an answer, his grip tightening around your cock as he pumps faster. “I-I want all of you, Dave. All of you.”

 

His grip around you loosens at that, his red eyes searching your own, before he nods after finding whatever it was he looking for. “You already have all of me,” he says, smile soft on his face as he lies back completely on the bed, his legs spread out to give you more room. “But I suppose a reminder is fine.”

 

You swallow back a moan when he reaches for the vial of oil on his bedside table and slicks his own fingers with them, the knowing grin on his face making your face flush red as he lowers his hand. You sit back to watch him, knowing well enough how heated your gaze is on his skin when he teases at his hole with oil-slicked fingers. “I love watching you, like this,” you confess when you look up into half-lidded red eyes. “I love knowing that you’re mine, that you’re willing to do this for me.”

 

“I know,” he says as an answer, voice weak as he pushes a finger inside of himself. You can do nothing else but watch, your hands tight on his legs as he pumps the finger in and out of himself. “You’re very easy- _ah-_ easy to please, John.”

 

“Only for you,” you admit, smiling when he flushes a dark red in response. “It will only ever be easy when it’s you.”

 

“You’re such a- _nn-_ sweet-talker,” he says, sucking in a breath as he adds another finger into the mix. You groan when he arches his back, hips moving against his fingers as his eyes fall shut. It’s a show, you know it is, but you can’t help from being taken in. You can’t help the throb of heat under your skin when he squirms on the bed, your name falling from his lips as he prepares himself, all of it _for you._ He gets impatient soon enough and adds another oil-slicked finger, his groans being stifled by his teeth on his lower lip as he stretches his fingers inside himself.

 

It feels like hours have passed when he looks up at you, his fingers sliding out of him as he says, “Well?”

 

You smile as you press in closer, laughing when he moans at the feeling of your heated skin against his. “You’re certain about this?”

 

He rolls his eyes and rocks his hips against yours, your cock sliding against his hole, and you groan. “ _Very_ certain about this. It’s hardly the first time.”

 

“Even so,” you bite out, your legs quivering as you wrap one hand around your shaft, teasing in your movements as you nudge against his hole with the head of your cock. He groans, his hands scrambling for purchase on  the sheets. “You can still say no. Although, I’d feel rather bad about it if you did.”

 

“I’m not saying no,” he grumbles, before keening in surprise when you push in until the head of your cock is inside him. “John! A little, nn, _warning_ , would have been appreciated.”

 

You laugh breathlessly, your forehead pressing against his as you lean into his warmth. “You’re not as relaxed when I tell you when I’m going to move, Dave.” He opens his mouth to retort, but he cuts himself off with a groan when you push in a little more. “See?”

 

“Don’t be so smug,” he croaks out, deliberately tightening around your cock, and you moan. “We both know that I was your first time as much as you were mine.”

 

“I wasn’t being smug,” you say, your hands clutching at the sheets beneath him as you slide in a little further, his small moans only urging you further until you’re inside him to the hilt. “Are you alright?”

 

“As fine as I can be with a cock up my ass,” he says, laughing, before moaning in surprise when your rock your hips into him. “ _John._ ”

 

“Hm? What is it?” You tease, leaning down to trail kisses along his shoulder as you slow down in your rocking motions. He only moans in response, his legs coming up to wrap around your waist as you pull out of him, then push back in slowly. “How’s that feel, Dave?” You say, voice soft, your body warm against his as you make a slow rhythm with moving your hips. “Tell me.”

 

“I’m still hard, and I’m- _nn-_ moaning,” he gasps, arms moving from the bed to wrap around your neck as he bares his own neck to your wandering mouth. “I think- _ah!-_ you can tell how good it feels.”

 

“I want more than that,” you say, mouthing against the skin of his neck, teeth grazing his skin as you take small nips here and there. “You’re good with your words, aren’t you? So tell me, Dave. Tell me how good it makes you feel.”

 

“I feel hot,” he confesses after a moment of recovering from his litany of moans, “I feel like I want more of you inside me, like I can’t get enough of you. I feel good, so good, and it’s because of- _nn!_ \- you, all because of you, John. You make me feel good.”

 

You groan, your body quivering against his as you stutter in your rhythm. His moans become cries of pleasure and you can’t help it- you _can’t-_ your hips move faster, your cock sliding in and out of him with the kind of roughness that he likes, and you’re lost. You’re lost in him, in his voice as he moans your name, in his body as he clenches around you- his cock twitching against your stomach before spurting warm liquid against your skin. You’re lost when you feel the heat under your skin uncoiling, your hips moving of their own accord as you thrust into him harder and faster.

 

In the end, it’s his words (“ _Come inside me, John_ ”) that make you come undone.

 

It feels like you’ve lost a few seconds of your life when you come back from your high, your gaze immediately settling on Dave as you breathe in slowly. He moans softly when you pull out of him, his red eyes still closed from exhaustion even as you move to lie beside him. “You’re mine, aren’t you?” You murmur when he moves, almost automatically, into you. His arms are warm when they wrap around you, his breath tickling your skin as he makes himself comfortable in your arms. You smile, trying your hardest not to laugh out loud in sheer satiation.

 

“I’ve always been yours,” he murmurs sleepily in response, head tucked in under your chin.

 

You wait for his breathing to even out, wait for him to fall asleep, before you raise a hand and card it gently through his hair. You whisper, “I love you.” He doesn’t reply, predictably enough, but it’s fine. You know enough without having him say the words.

 

He’s yours, and that’s all that matters.

 

 

\----

 

 

“I don’t know what it is that you’ve done, Dave,” John’s father tells you, his smile soft on his face as he looks at you, “but he’s happy.”

 

You bow your head in respect, looking down at the floor as he stands up. You start when he places a hand on your shoulder, your face devoid of emotion as you look up at him. “It was what you wished- and he’s my friend. Almost a brother. I want him to be happy as well,” you say.

 

“You don’t have to pay your life debt to me, you understand?” He asks, his hand heavy but comforting on your shoulder.

 

You nod. “It’s my pride that I have to uphold, your highness. If there is a way for me to repay it, then I will do so accordingly.” You smile wryly. “I wish for his happiness as well, after all. I’ll pay the cost.”

 

He pauses in thought, before saying, “You are a good friend and a worthy knight, Dave.” He smiles at you and you feel inexplicably guilty, as though you’ve done something wrong but you know you _haven’t_ , you’re just keeping John happy, and that’s what the King wants, isn’t it? “He is lucky to have you,” he adds, the words feeling heavy like lead when they sink into your thoughts. You bow when he dismisses you, your body stiff with the formality of a knight facing his king even as you leave his study.

 

You feel strangely hollow inside when you leave, the smile on your face feeling so much like a lie that you drop it as soon as you’re out of the King’s study.


End file.
